It’s hard to deny that the sandwich is one of the most famous food inventions to have come out of the UK. Most people are familiar with its history, and how it came to have its name. Popular history suggests that the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, was an inveterate gambler, and during a particularly long game in 1762, he demanded a meal that he could eat that wouldn’t interrupt him, something he wouldn’t need to sit at a dinner table to eat. Apparently, someone came up with the idea of placing meat between two slices of bread, and the sandwich was born.
Food historians counter that Montagu had actually seen variations on the sandwich during his travels in the Mediterranean, and thus instructed his staff to bring him something similar when he didn’t want to interrupt his game. Nonetheless, the name ‘sandwich’ has stuck, and it’s now one of the most popular food options in the world.